Music-box.



PATENTBD AU-G..11, 1908. v

o. GLASS. mvsm Box.

I APPLICIATIOI FILED MAY 13.

4 BHEETl-SKBEI l.-

-IATENTED AUG. 11, 190B. O. GLASS.

MUSIC BOX.

AP PLIOATIOl FILED IA! 13, 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

. PATENTBD AUG.11, 1908 0. GLASS.

MUSIC BOX.

APPLIOATIOI mum in n, 1001.

4 mantra-sans: a.

No. 895,450. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. 1 0. GLASS. v

MUSIC 1301:.-

APPLICATION FILED KAY 13, 1'01.

7/ ASHEBTl-SKBB! 4.

M S @525 A o'r'ro cuts; or caicaco lL ixois.

MUSIC-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 1, 1908.

Application filed May 13, 1907. Serial No. 373,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knomi that I, O'r'ro Gmss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im )rovements in Music-Boxes, of which the following is a specificatiom My invention relates to music boxes and has for its object to provide new and improved constructions in the devices for producing musical tones and new and improved devices, constructions and arrangements in the apparatus for operating such devices.

More particularly the invention has for its object to construct the devices which produce the musical tones each with a plurality of vibrating elements having the same pitch and \vluch are designed to be struck in succession 20 its set in staggered relation.

icking y this construction of sound producing device, 1 obtain eerease in the amount of rotation ivhich itfis necessary to ive to the rotary picker or star wheel, resufting in the advantages which" will appear more fully in this specification.

My invention has for a further object to provide apparatus for operating sound producing devices of thischaracter by the application of pneumatic pressure; and in providing means for adjusting the connections be tween the neumatics and the sound p'roduciug devices, so that the latter may be played in perfect time.

The invention has for further objects the several improvements in the construction of the tone producing devices and of the other mechanism of the music box, which are shown and will be described in this specification.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a vertical section throu h one form of music box illustrating a compiiate set of apparatus for the production of a single musical tone from the tone producing device to the wind chest, omitting, however, the feed and reservoir bellows or other means for iroducing vacuum in the wind chest, which oruis no part of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a partial sectional plan view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a partial rear a series of star wheels having view of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is a side view of one of the tone producing devices. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the driving drum for the star wheel. Fig. 8. is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 9 is a detail in perspective of one of the dampers; and Fig. 10 is a verticalsectiou on line 1010 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 11 is a detail of the tone producing device.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawin which gives a general view of part 0 the apparatus embodying my improvements, A

represents-one of'the tone producing devices mounted upon cleats A, A on the sounding board B. C is'the operating rod and E the regulating mechanism taken as a whole, which is mounted upon and in a block E. C is the continuation of the operating rod which extends from the regulating mechanism to the motor pneumatic F. G is the tracker board having the customary perforations over which passes the perforated sheet of music H, it being from roll J to roll J or vice versa. K is the wind chest which is exhaused tin-ou h pipe K and connected with neuinatic F bypipe K and with the tracker oard b pipe h.

It wil be understood that for the production of each musical tone there will be a set of apparatus consisting generally of the elements above set forth: that is, a tone producing device, an operating rod, adjusting mechanism, motor pneumatic and connections fromthe tracker board and motor pneumatic to the wind chest. I have described only one set of apparatus, as all these. sets of a paratus are constructed in substantially t 0 same manner.

Referring particularly to Figs. 5 t0 9-inchsive, which. i lustrate one of the tone producing devices, 1 represents a metallic base, 2 a

chair secured to the base by screw 3, upon which is mounteihthe vibrating comb or combs which produc e the musical tone. I have shown two of these combs 4 and 5 each divided so as to form four separately vibrating tongues which I have desi 'nated res ectively as a, b, c, d, and a, c, d. he

tongues of the two combs are shown as of narily two turns will different lengths proper for the production of musical sounds of the same tonebut an octave apart. This arrangement ismo essential to the operation of my device. be two combs might be of the same )itch oronly one comb need be employed. T me use of the two combs, which are designed to be vibrated simultaneously, is so that one will correct; the other and so that the two to ether will give an increased volume of sount The tongues of each comb are designed to be set in vibration one after another by a series of star wheels side by side and rotated together. For eac 1 comb there will, therefore, be four of these star wheels. These star wheels, designated e, f, g, I: and c.,f', g, h are rigidly mounted on a shaft 6 which rotates in standards 7, 8. Each star wheel has ordinaril nine teeth or picking points and the star wheels are so set on the shaft that corresponding teeth of successive wheels follow each other at an an ular distance equal to between the teeth on any given wheel. The teeth, therefore, of each set of four wheels are brought in succession against the four tongues of the corres )onding comb, a one thirtysixth turn of the wheels being sufficient to set one of the tongues in vibration. It is necessary, of co urse,'that there should be sufficient room between the several teeth of each star wheel so that its corresponding tongue may vibrate freely. It is, therefore, not practical to have a great number of teeth or packing points on any one wheel. At the same time it has been found to be undesirable to rotate the wheel through so great an angular distance as is represented by the interval between the teeth of, for example, a nine pointed star wheel, as such an amplitude of movement requires considerable time and the expenditure of power and is apt to result in an uneven-action.

My invention of acomb having a plurality of vibrating elements of the same pitch together with the multiple star wheel to set the vibrating elements in vibration successively results in a very great improvement uponthe older forms of mechanism.

The star wheels may be rotated by any suitable form of apparatus. I have designed a clutch mechanism which is particularly apt for this urpose. On the shaft 6 is a drum 9 arounr which is looped a spring strap 10, one end of which is preferably bent up as at 11 and rests upon the end of a spring 12 secured to the base 1, the other end terminating in a lever 13 to which is comlected the operating red C. An upright rod 14 holds toe loop upon the drum and also serves as a brake for the drum. The loop may make any number of turns around the drum, ordibe sufficient. 'hen or similarly constructeda pickers which are connected together rigidlv one-fourth the distai ice the operating rod C is de ressed, the stra will tend to slip aifound tlie drum, but this slipping moveme t is arrested bv the upward pressure of spring 12, resulting in a clamping of the loop around the drum and in the rotation of the latter.

It will be understood that the combs of different pitch will ordinarily have'tongues of different lengths; and it will be clear that .the shorter tongues will escape or tack off from the star wheels more quickly than the longer tongues. Some sort of adjustment has, therefore, to be effected in order that the different tone" producing devices may .play in time. To this end, I have invented a multiple dog adapted to act upon the star wheels of one set and which is capable of adjustment so as to advance the initial ositions of the picking points of the star w reels with-respect to the tongues more or less, according to the amount of rotation necessary to ive to the star whecl-- before the tongues ill escape or tack off.

15 is a block or chair t dog 1-6, which consists o .a thin plate of metal slotted at 17 so as to e guided by the screw 18 and also slotted attthe rear end to receive the periphery of the "set screw 19 which works back and forth in the chair. The forward end of this multiple dog is bent up and slit, so as to form four tongues j, k, l, m, these tongues being formed with bends 20 over which the teeth of the star wheels 6, g, 71, ride.

ig. 11 illustrates the position of the outside star wheel e and its picking points in re pon which is the of the dog, the parts taking this position just before the ton me a is to be tacked of); that is, the star whee e is carried into this position by the last movement of rotation hen to the drum 9. It will be seen that b 'Slllfillg the dog 16 forward toward the com which can be done by screwing in set screw point of star wheel s, over which tongue a is to escape or tack oil, will be raised so that the escapcment or tacking off will occur more quickly than it would with the parts in the position shown. In like manner by drawing the do backward or away from the comb, the tac king ofl' can be made to-occur later in the movement of rotation.

\Vhen one tongue of a comb of the character 'shown is set in vibration, the other tongues, it 'will sympathv, since they are all the same pit-ch.

this'vi iration is allowed to continue at the time the pickin point touches the end of a ton ue, the result will he an impure tone. It is, filQIGfOIQ, neces ary to damp or mufile the tongues before the )icking points are brought into contact with them. drawings I have which normally st and away from the tongues,

be understood, will vibrate in lation to tongue (1 of the comb 4 and tongue;

19, the picking In the are lifted by the star wheels.

but which are adapted to be bn sg zit into conta t with the same just before the tongues These dampets consist each of an upright spring eoember 21 forked at the upper end so as to new two prongs 22 and 23 (see Figs. 5 and 5 the prong '23 having a lug or oil-set 24 normally stands in the path of a star wheel. the other pron" 22 extending around corresponding tongue of the comb. .-Ls a git-king point of a star wheel comes u ureter its tongue, it. comes into contact wit :Ee log 24 of the damper, operating upon that tongue, forces the same outwardly and draws the ring 22 against the tongue, stopp the vi- )rztion thereof. As it is, of course. ca able to be able to reduce as great a volume of tone as )ossil) from any of the sews-2d producing evice the advantage of my multiple system of vibrating elements taken in connection with the means for-damping the several elements will be obvious. "zacn one tongue is set in vibration the other tongues will all vibrate in unison, except tongue or tongues which are being damped prior to being set in vibration themselves. the others continuing to vibrate until so acted. upon by the dampers and thus helping to swell the volume of. sound as long as it is ale for them to do so. The teeth or pie-iii; points of the star wheels are set far enough.: apart so that several of the tongues may aiwrs rs be vibrating at the same time. \Vhen two combs are used either of the same pitch or an octave apart, the latter being the arrangemc .t which I have shown for purposes of tiles; Ion, it will he understood that the sets of sasar wheels for vibrating the combs will be so arrangedthst two tongues one of each cum n will be acted upon simultaneously. I might, of course, increase the number of cozjrs to any dtsircd extent. I might also increase or decrcase the number of tongues on comb with a corresponding change in the number of star wheels. \Vhcn )neumatic pressure is utilized for o. )erating t to tone pria fici vices. the at vantage of the Inn. wheel system, giving, as it doe :a short stroke, IS very obvious, as the t .Jtlfli) of getting a sharp, quick action is materially decreased with the decrease of the Fwrgth of stroke. The practical success of pix-unratimlly operating a tone producing derice consisting of vibrating tongues ami picking wints depends very largely uponi possi )ility of so reducing the work of nine pneumanc's.

It is desirable also that the connection between lever 13 of the sound pDhiT-t?! and motor pneumatic F should be capsiie of ad justment, as it is not possible, or an [east practical, to so adjust the parts of the sea sra sets of apparatus so that they operateimperfect aewrd. I have provided means mi adjust- .chest to meat, shown particularly in Figs. 1 o 4 inclusive. The block E is perforated, the perforation-beiug closed at the bottom by a plug 25, upon the up )cr face of which is a butter 26 of felt or such like material. This plug has a perforation 3? through which the operating rod or wire extends. Above the plu '25 is a movable )lug 2S centrally perforated at .29 and PI'OVlt ed on its lower face with a felt butl'er 30 to which is connected. a strip 31 having perforations in its ends so that it ma be guided u )on the pins 32 connected wit 1 block E, springs 33 being interposed between the strip 31 and block E. An adjustin screw 34 extends through the strip 31 an into a screw threaded perforation 35 in the block. The operating rod (3 is provided with a loop or cross-piece 36 which lies between plugs 25 and 28. By means of the adjusting screw 34 the limit of motion of the operating rod ma be varied at will. It will be seen that tlus construction is well calculated tomutlle any sound that might be rodueed by contact of the cross piece 36 wit 1 the plugs, this cross-piece being located in the chamber formed by the solid block E and the felt covered plugs. Springs 33 aid in taking up any vibration due to jar.

The operating rod is preferably a sin le piece of stiff wire extending through t 1e plugs and attached to the upper member of pneumatic F.

The bellows may be of any desired construction, I have shown them as consisting of the top and bottom 37 and 38 joined by flexible sides 39, the parts being normally mailed by means of spring 40.

he wind chest is shown in detail in Figs. 1, 4 and 10. The chamber within the chest is exhausted through a pipe K which enters the chest at 41, which pipe leads to the feed bellows or other suction device, the latter forn'iing no part of my present invention.

Within the wind chest is a block 42 having passage-ways A3, 43 therethrough to permit the passa e of air from one side of the wind the other. The block is chambered at 44, which chamber is covered by a diaphragm 45. A pipe 46 leads frotn the pipe i going to the tracker board into chamber 44. A perforation 47 extends through the block into this passage-way, the erforation being covered preferably by a leat ier washer 48 which has in it the pin hole 49. The wall of the wind chest has an aperture 50 in which are formed the valve seats 51 and 52 for the double beat valve 53, on the stem of which is a button 54, against which diaphragm 45 presses when the latter is ex Diaphragm 56 operates against a button 58 on the stern of a double beat valve 59, which operates within a valve chamber to alternately open and close from the valve chamber and ports 62 between the valvechamber and the wind chest. The pipe K from the ncumatic l terminates at the valve cham ter 60. Valve stem 59' preferably extends through the wall of the valve chamber so as to guide the movements of the valve. The valve 53 may be guided in its tends over a wind chest. I i

The tracker board and music rolls may be of an desired construction customary -in pneumatically operated music roll devices, the music being perforated and passin from one roll to the other over the tracker board, which. it will be understood, is provided with pirfomtions corresponding to pipes K, there pin 64 on the outside of the mg one perforation to correspond to each set of apparatus for the production of a musical tone. When a perforation in the music regLsteis with a perforation in the tracker board. the vacuum in the chamber 44 commnnieating'wit-h this particular perforation in the tracker board which is maintained by means of the communication between chamber 44 and the interior of the wind chest through pin hole 49 is broken and the air enters chamber 44 through pipe K and passage 46, expands diaphragm 45, forces the valve 53 to the right (as shown in Fig. 10). closing the ports in the valve seat 52 and opening the ports in the valve seat 51, which ports it will be undeistood communicate with the air outside the wind chest. Pressure will thereupon enter passage 57 and diaphragm chamber 55, pushing button 58 to the left (as shown in Fig. 10), openim port 62 and closing port 61. The wind most will then be in communication with pipe K leading to the motor pneumatic, the latter will be collapsed. operating rod C depressed and lever 13 rocked. so as to move one of the picking points of the multiple star wheel against. one of the tongues of the comb to set the same in vibration. It will be seen that the valve chamber 61 is located on the outside of the wind chest. Preferably it is so attached to the wind chest that it may be easily removed. so that access may easily be had to the interior of the chest for repairs or adustment.

It will be noted, and this is one of the impmvemcnts which is involved in the construction of the music box shown herein, that the several devices for producing the several musical tones are entirely separate one from another, each having its own vibratirelement or series of vibrating elements distinct from the vibrating elements of the other devices. Ordinarily in music boxes the vinratingelements are all a part of a ports 61 leading mnt movements by a loop 63, which exwhere the amplitude greatest, but tns cannot conveniently besingle comb, so that if there is any imperfection found in the comb, the whole comb has -to-berejected and the same is the case in the event that one of single comb has another disadvantage in that the positions of the several notes on the sounding board are fixed by their position in the comb. Ordinarily the bass notes are at one end of the comb and the high notes at the other end. It is desirable that the low note tone producing devices should be lo rated in the center of the sounding' board of vibration is the (one where a single comb is used. Bymy construction of separate combs o erated by separate operating means any (TOSllOt'l arrangement of the sound producing devices upon the soimding board mav be made.

I wish it to be undelstood that I do not desire to limit myself to the exact devices and constructions modifications of the same will occur to persons skilled in the art.

The various improvements herein shown and described are designml and are particularly suitable for conjoint use, but they might be used separately in other sorts of mechanically operated nulsic-al instruments than the sort shown.

I claim:

brating elements having identical tones, of a, rotary picker to set the same in vibration, and means for giving intermittent rotation to said picker, the picker comprising devices arranged so as to act on the vibrating ele-- ments in succession.

plurality of tongues adapted to give forth Identical tones, of a plurality of star wheels picking points arranged in staggered relation, so as to operate upon the tongues successively.

3. The combination with setsofvibrating elements, the elements of thesevcral sets being tuned an octave apart, of a rotary picker adaited to operate only upon said vibrating c ements and operating simulta neously u mm the elements in each set and successive y upon the elements of a given set.

4. The combination with a series of vibrating elements, of a shaft, a plu'ralit of star wheels rigid on said shaft, the pic ing points of the several star wheels being arranged in staggered-relation so as to operate upon the vibrating elements successively,

to the star wheels.

5. The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary picker and means for operating the same comprising elastic material extending connected so as to rotate together with their the tongues breaks. The

herein shown, as various 1. The combination with a plurality of vi- 2. The combination with a comb having a and means for giving'a step by step rotation a drum, 8. loop of around the drum,

gripping the loop around the ating these-me comprising a drum, a loop of elastic material extending around the drum, a spring against which one end of the loo abuts, and 0 )erating means connected with the other cm of the loop;

7. The combination with a vibrating element, of a shaft, a star wheel on the shaft, a drum on the shaft, a loo of elastic material extending loosely aroum the drum, a spring, an extension from one end of the loop en gaging with the spring, a lever attached to the other end of the loo and opt ating means connected with the lever.

S. The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary picker, means for rotating the same through given angular distances, and means for adjusting the relative positions of the )ickcr and vibrating element so as to vary the interval of time intervening of rotation ofthe )ickcr and the escapemcnt of the vibrating e emcnt; therefrom.

9,, The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary picker having a plurality of circuniferential picking points, and a dog which said picking points engage successively, and means for adjusting said. dog to vary the initial position of the picking points relative to the vibrating element.

10. The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary picker having a plurality of circumferential picking points, a spring do over which the picking points ride, am means for giving a forward and back ad'ustment to the dog so as to vary the initiai position of the picking points relative to the vibratii v element.

ll. 'l lie combination with a vibrating element, of a shaft having a star wheel thereon, a spring dog, capable of forward and back movement, over which the star wheel picking points ride, means for guiding the movement of the dog, and a set screw en aging with the dog whereby the same may e set in a variety of'positions relative to the star wheel.

12. The combination with a tone producing device, of a reciprocating, operating connection therefor, means for impartin movemerit to the o )erating connection, an means for limiting t ie movement so imparted comprising a stop on the operating connection, a chamber confining said stop and through which the o )erating connection passes, and an ad justabl e plug within said chamber.

13. The combination with a tone producing device, of an operating connection, means for imparting reciprocating movementto the same, and means for limitin said movement com virising a chambered sound deadening block, a stop on the operating connection which moves within the chamber in said block, a movable block extending into and closing the chamber on one side, and means for adjusting the position of said bloc-k.

14. The combination with a mg device, of an operating connection, a. perforated sound deadening block, through the perforation of which the operating connection passes, a fixed plug extending into the perforation on one side of the block, a movable plug extending into the perforation on the other side, a strip connected with the tone producmovable plug, yielding means between the block and the strip and a set screw adapted to vary the relative position of the strip and plug with respect to the block.

15. The combination with a ilurality of vibrating elements, of rotarv pic ers adapted to set the same in vibration, motor pneumatics, means [or exhausting the air therefrom, operating connections from the menmatics to the pickers, andmeans for adjusting the relative positions of the vibrating elements and their respective pickers so as to vary the intervals of time intervening between the commencement of the movcment of rotation of the pickers and the escapcment of the corresponding vibrating elements therefrom. Y

16. The combination with a' sounding board, of a plurality of separate combs, one foreach musical tone, and separate means for setting in vibration the several combs.

17. The combination with a sounding board, of a pluralitv of separate tone pro- 'ducing devices, said devices com )rising vibrating elements, the elements of t ic several devices being se )aratc from each other, and separate means ior setting the vibrating elements in vibration.

18. The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary device for setting the same in o )eration, and means for imparting a. stepb prising a reciprocating part and a flexible member adapted to have frictional cngagc ment with the rotary device.

19. The combination with a vibratin tongue, of a star-wheel adapted to set sait tongue in vibration, means for giving a stepby-stcp rotation to the star-wheel comprising a reciprocating part. a rotating member rigidlv connected with til: star wheel, and a. flexible member ada )tcd to civc frictional engagement with said rotating member, and means whereby the step-b s-tep movements of rotation of the star-wheel are made uniform.

20. The combination with a vibrating element, of a rotary dcvicefor setting the same in operation, means for impart ng a step-bystep movement of rotation to said device comy-step rotation to said device comprising a flexible member adapted to have frictionalengngementwith said roteryileviee. I vibrating elements, so that bysimultaneously a bellows, and connections from the bellows rotating the pickers vihrat' to said member. different lengths may be made to escape 21. The combination with a. plurality of therefrom atthe same time.

5 vibrating elements of different lengths, of a OTTO GLASS. v

pluralitv of rotary pickers, means for rotat- VVitnessesr 111g sai l pickers, and means for varying the PERCUAL \V. TRUMAN, operation of the pickers on their respective I II. L. PECK.

mg elements of 19 v 

